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Thursday, August 21, 2014

Help Light The Night For Kids with Cancer! #LLSLTN

* This post is a part of the Light The Night campaign. I have been hired as an ambassador for this campaign. All expressed content in this post is strictly my own. *

Have you heard of Light The Night? It's an event that is coordinated by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) in support of raising money to help eradicate cancer. More specifically, blood cancers.

One aspect of this campaign is maintaining a focus on children's cancers. LLS states that Leukemia is the most common cancer impacting children and adolescents aged 20 and younger.

Think of the children in your family. At this time in their lives many of them are getting ready to start a new school year. They're looking forward to meet the teacher events and packing up their school supplies.

The children battling blood cancers don't have that same somewhat seamless transition from summer camp to the school year. Their months, their days, minutes - all of these are focused on treatment and fighting the illness that is attacking them from within.

This year Sylvan Learning is partnering with LLS through Light The Night, with a commitment to raising over $250K for the cause. That's TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS! Amazing!

Sylvan Learning has also committed to contribute more than 12,000 hours of free tutoring services for children with blood cancer as they transition back to school after (and during) treatment.

Unfortunately I know too many people whose children have battled Leukemia and fought a strong and hearty fight. The impact that this illness has on families is beyond description. Simply beyond words. I've seen children have their heads shaved as they faced treatment. Children who were alienated from friends to keep them safe from possible infection or other illness. Siblings who watched as parents and brothers, sisters, fought an exhausting fight.

This effort by Sylvan is a tremendous one. The assistance that will be provided to these kids (sorry, adolescents, to me you guys are kids, too!) is going to be such a huge help.

But Sylvan and LLS want us to help, too. There are many Light The Night events happening across the map. I know in the Triangle area alone there are Raleigh/Durham events scheduled for September and October. There are several more scattered across North Carolina and the entire US, stretching into Canada, as well.

Please consider registering for an event near you today. It's family-friendly, so you can bring the kids along, invite the neighbors to join you and create an incredible combined effort to put an end to this horrible illness. Sylvan's efforts are incredible. Amazing. Inspiring. But they cannot do this alone. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society needs our help. Your help. Please spread the word.

* Disclaimer reminder: This post is a part of the Light The Night campaign. I have been hired as an ambassador for this campaign. All expressed content in this post is strictly my own. *